Breech-loading small-arm.



No. 806,313. I PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905.

R. M. BASILONE. BRBEOH LOADING SMALL ARM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905.

R. M. BASILONE.

BREBCH LOADING SMALL ARM.

APPLIUATION FILED OUT. 23.'1902.

2 SHEETS-831E111 2..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQE.

BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

Application filed October 23, 1902. Serial No- 128,509.

To all whmn it 77Z/fl/Z/ concern:

Be it known that I, RAFFAELE MARIO BASI- LONE, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Naples, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Breech-Loading Rifles and Small-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drop-down guns; and its object is to provide a laterally-operating locking device for securely clamping and supporting the gun in its closed position, the said device being suitably adapted for use with a main fastening device of known construction, in which case it may be regarded as an auxiliary clamping and supporting device.

The locking and clamping device according to this invention comprises fixed jaws and recesses on the barrel portion of the gun, which. are respectively engaged by fixed jaws and by movable jaws, the latter being carried by laterally-acting locking-bolts mounted upon the stock of the gun. These lockingjaws and the recesses are all laterally situated upon the gun and are immediately adjacent to the breech in order that they shall act close to the point where the cartridges explode. Other locking devices and catches of known construction acting in conjunction with the above-described laterally-operating devices and operated simultaneously therewith are preferably provided, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan of part of a drop-down gun in its closed position and fitted with a lateral locking and clamping device according to this invention. Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation, and Fig. 3 an inverted plan, of same, a coverplate being removed to disclose the internal mechanism. Figs. 4L and 5 are diagrammatic viewsshowing the lateral locking-bolts in their closed and open positions, respectively. Fig. 6 is a view of a detail, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation. of part of a drop-down gun with its breech opened as for loading to disclose the fixed lateral engaging jaws.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, fixed projections M M N N, formed with engaging jaws or inclines M M N N, are provided upon each side of the stock P and barrel portion R of the gun, respectively. These jaws or in clines M M N N engage each other when the breech is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, and

as they are respectively fixed to the stock and barrel portion they have no movement other than that caused by the relative movement of the said parts of the gun when the breech is opened or closed. In the projections N N of the barrel portion are recesses K K, which when the breech is closed are engaged by jaws B C of laterally-acting locking-bolts B C, slidably mounted upon the stock of the gun and operated by the usual locking-lever A, through the medium of an extension-arm D of the lever and a bell-crank lever E, pivoted to the stock P at E. The bolts B U,with their jaws B G, pass through openings M M formed in the projections M M. The lockinglever A is fixed to a spindle A, whichit oscillates in the usual manner. The extension-arm D is either fixed to or formed upon the lockinglever A, and the free end of the arm D engages a recess B in the bolt B. In the bolt 0 a corresponding recess 0 is formed and is engaged by one arm of the bell-crank E, the other arm E engaging a recess A in the boss of the locking-lever A. The barrel portion of the gun is provided with the usual lug F, pierced by an opening F and notched, as at F. The opening F is engaged by the inner end of the bolt B, and a catch D of the arm D takes into the notch F.

The above-described locking devices are in the example illustrated shown acting-in combination with a main locking device comprising a toothed segment A, fixed to and moving with the spindle A, and an oscillating catch G, Figs. 2 and 6, having a partiallytoothed disk G, gearing with thesegment A and helical slots G engaging projections H of the downwardly-projecting part H of the barrel portion. The catch G is mounted upon a pivot J, so as to be capable of being rotated by the toothed segment A. A spring A tends to return the lever A and the looking devices actuated thereby to their normal position as soon as the breech is closed.

It will thus be seen that when the lockinglever A is turned to the position shown in Fig. 5 the bolts B and C are moved outward, as shown in the said figure, thereby disengaging the jaws B C from the recesses K K and the inner end of the bolt B and the catch D from the opening F and the notch F. At the same time the segment A" turns the catch G and causes the helical slots G to act upon the projections H and move the barrel portion and open the breech. Simultaneous with these operations the fixed jaws i M and N N also become disengaged.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gun-stock, bolts laterally movable on' the stock, means for moving the bolts, jaws on the outer ends of the bolts, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock and lateral recesses in the barrel portion adapted to be engaged by the jaws.

2. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gun-stock, bolts laterally movable on the stock, means for moving the bolts, jaws on the outer ends of the bolts, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock, lateral recesses in the barrel portion adapted to be engaged by the jaws, a lug on the barrel portion, and a perforation in said lug adapted to receive the inner end of one of the laterally-moving bolts simultaneously with the engagement of the jaws thereof with the lateral recesses of the barrel portion.

3. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gun-stock, lateral projections fixed thereon, jaws on the projections, bolts on the stock mounted so as to be laterally movable, openings in the projections to permit the jaws to pass laterally through them, means for actuating the bolts, jaws on the outer ends of the bolts, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock, lateral projections on the barrel portion, recesses in the projections adapted to be engaged by the jaws of the bolts on the stock, and fixed lateral jaws on the said projections engaging the fixed jaws of the stock when the breech is closed.

a. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gun-stock, bolts laterally movable on the stock, means for moving the bolts, jaws on the outer ends of the bolts, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock, lateral recesses therein adapted to be engaged by the jaws, a lug on the barrel portion, and a perforation in said lug adapted to receive the inner end of one of the laterally-moving bolts simultaneously with the engagement of the jaws thereof with the lateral recesses of the barrel portion.

5. In a'drop-down gun the combination of the gun-stock, bolts laterally movable thereon, jaws on the outer ends of the bolts, a lever for moving the bolts, a catch on said lever, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock, lateral recesses therein adapted to be engaged by the jaws, a lug on the barrel portion, and a notch in the lug adapted to be engaged by the catch simultaneously with the engagement of the jaws with the lateral recesses in the barrel portion.

6. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gunstock,bolts laterally movably thereon, jaws on the outer ends of the bolts, a rotatable catch on the stock, gearing for rotating the catch, a lever on the stock for simultaneously operating the catch-gearing and the laterallymovable bolts, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock, lateral recesses therein adapted to be engaged by the jaws of the bolts, a lug on the barrel portion, and catches on said lug adapted to be engaged by the rotating catch simultaneously with the engagement of the lateral recesses by the jaws'of the bolts.

7. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gun stock, a bell crank lever pivoted thereon, a locking-lever, a boss on said locking-lever, a spindle fixed concentrically to the boss and forming a pivot for the locking-lever, a recess in the boss adapted to engage the rear arm of the bell-crank lever, an extension-arm on the locking-lever, two bolts laterally movable (toward and away from each other) on the stock, a recess in each bolt one to receive the front arm of the bell-crank lever and the other to engage the extension-arm of the locking-lever, jaws on the outer ends of and projecting forward at right angles to the bolts, a barrel portion pivoted to the stock, and lateral recesses in the barrel portion situated adjacent to the breech end and adapted to be engaged by the jaws of the laterally-moving bolts.

8. In a drop-down gun the combination of the gun -stock, a bell crank lever pivoted thereon, a locking-lever, a boss on said locking-lever, a spindle fixed concentrically to the boss and forming a pivot for the locking-lever, a recess in the boss adapted to engage the rear arm of the bell-crank lever, an extension-arm on the locking-lever, two bolts laterally movable (toward and away from each other) on the stock, a recess in each bolt one to receive the front arm of the bell-crank lever and the other to engage the extension-arm of the lockinglever, jaws on the outer ends of and projecting forward at right angles to the bolts, fixed lateral forwardly extending projections on the stock, openings in said projections to permit the jaws on the laterally-moving bolts to pass through the said projections, jaws fixed to the forward end of the inner faces of the RAFFAELE MARIO BASILONE.

Witnesses:

MICHELE DE DRAGO, Grov MoT'rANA. 

